Funk It Up & Punk It Up: Live In France ‘95

Personnel: Mike Muir (vocals); Dean Pleasants, Dave Nassie (guitar); Brooks Wackerman (drums).
Photographer: Mathieu Bredeau.
In 1991, when Suicidal Tendencies were at their commercial peak following Lights.Camera.Revolution! (but before the overstuffed Art of Rebellion), frontman Mike Muir and bassist Robert Trujillo formed a funk side project called Infectious Grooves. With songs mostly built around Trujillo's frantically popping basslines, with occasional side trips into punk rock hyperspeed, they were something akin to the Red Hot Chili Peppers circa Uplift Mofo Party Plan, with Anthony Kiedis' hippy-dippy fun-time demeanor swapped for Muir's in-your-face aggression. The novelty of the band's debut attracted some attention, but that soon waned -- in the U.S., at least. If this double CD is any evidence, Infectious Grooves retained a European audience for at least five years, touring in the wake of their third album, Groove Family Cyco. The brief opening set credited to Cyco Miko is actually the exact same band, performing punkier material that would appear on Muir's solo debut, Lost My Brain! (Once Again), in 1996. The crowd responds well to this punk-funk-metal blend, but it sounds somewhat dated in 2010. ~ Phil Freeman